Early Life:

I was born on December 29, 1876 in Vendrell, in the Catalonian region of Spain. Unfortunately I
died on October 22, 1973 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was the second of eleven children of my mom Pilar
Ursula Defill and my father Carlos Casals. Only three of my siblings lived till adult hood including me, I
was the oldest. My father was the local church organist and my mom was the choirmaster. Our early life
wasnt easy. My parents were very poor, young and we had no other family support around us. My
nationality is Spanish American, my mother was born in Puerto Rico.

By the age of four I decided to take up the piano and by the age of five I joined the church choir.
At 6 I started to compose songs with my father, and when I was nine I could play the organ and the
violin. When I reached the age of ten years old I took a walk every day to get inspiration form nature,
when I came back from my walk I would always play two Johann Sebastian Bach (16851750) pieces on
the piano. When I saw a musical performance at the age of 11 I became interested of the cello.

Cello Life:

After I got interested in the cello, my father built me one. My parents fought over my schooling
me because my father wanted me to go to school for carpentry but my mother would not hear of that
and enrolled me in the Municipal School of Music in Barcelona, Spain. At this new school I studied music
theory and piano but mostly the cello. I fought the strict music instructors to let me play the cello the
way I wanted too in a more expressive way. Everyone told me my progress was amazing and my new
way of playing the cello made the instrument more popular.

In the meantime after school I had a part time job playing cello in a trio at coffee shop nearby.
This made very little pesatas (money). When I was playing at the caf a composer Isaac Albniz heard
me play the cello and gave me a letter that was an introduction to Count Guillermo de Morphy,
secretary to the Queen Regent of Spain, Maria Cristine. I was asked to go play informal concerts in the
palace for the queen. In 1894 I traveled to Madrid to play for the queen and her counts. Over the years
more people in Madrid found out about me so I played for many orchestras there. When I played a
concert by myself in 1899 many people enjoyed my performance. I played at the white house, and many
other places that year.

One day in 1890 my father was in a Barcelona book store and he found a volume of Bach's six
suites (arrangements of music) for solo cello. They were supposed to be just musical warm ups and
practiced but I saw something deeper than that. I practiced them for twelve years before I preformed
them. For the rest of my life I played one of these pieces every day.

World Peace:

I had a strong belief in world peace. I refused to play in countries such as the Soviet Union,
Germany, and Italy because there governments didnt treat there citizens the right way. I also refused to
play where General Francisco Franco took power, like in Spain. He played occasional concerts and at
festivals. I didnt get many awards but I was nominated for a Noble Peace Prize in 1958. Unfortunately I
didnt get it.

My Life
Early Life

Cello Career

World Peace

Picture Websites:
http://foglobe.com/data_images/main/pablo-casals/pablo-casals-01.jpg
http://www.sharmusic.com/Shop-Shar/Sheet-Music/Cello/Unaccompanied-Cello/Bach-J-S---6-CelloSuites-BWV-1007-for-Cello---Arranged-by-Fournier---International-Edition.axd
http://w0.fast-meteo.com/locationmaps/el-Vendrell.12.gif
http://jrjuddviolins.com/images/cellos/eastman_100_cello_top.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_z5VkfezYirQ/S7KQChMHkOI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/VcqLV54Pd88/s1600/school+o
f+music+small.JPG

Jenna Aruri
Mod 2
10/11/13